Several states, including our neighbor Michigan, have recently proposed increasing their respective renewable energy mandates, which will end up costing consumers more money on their electric bills and slow renewable energy innovation in their states.

In Ohio we have a chance to avoid these problems, help consumers save money on their energy bills, and encourage investors who have innovative ideas for renewable energy. As Ohio continues to debate its Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), legislators should focus on the best way to achieve these goals, which begins with repealing the RPS. This will encourage renewable energy innovation, create more job opportunities, and lower electricity bills across Ohio.

Unfortunately, these goals have gotten lost in the RPS debate, and so has the cost of burdensome regulations and mandates. Higher electricity bills are not the only costs Ohioans will be forced to bear as a result of these mandates. As our report The Impact of Renewable Portfolio Standards on the Ohio Economy shows, even if the RPS mandate was repealed immediately, Ohio has already experienced a decrease in new job opportunities and economic growth. Increasing the mandate would only worsen the damage.

Fortunately, there is a solution for consumers, Ohio’s economic growth, and for the renewable energy industry. Eliminating burdensome regulations and forced government mandates would unleash innovation in the energy sector, including renewables. This innovation would enable the renewable energy market to grow and flourish, which would lead to lower prices for consumers. These changes would also attract energy producers to Ohio, which would bring much needed jobs to the state.

With RPS mandates in place, however, renewable energy investors have little-to-no incentive to innovate. Rather, their focus is on lobbying policymakers to implement more government mandates to increase their profits. Without RPS mandates, investors would focus on creating better products and services, thus improving the renewable energy industry in Ohio and ultimately decreasing electricity prices.

Ohio should open its doors to clean energy by repealing energy mandates, getting rid of overly burdensome regulations, and eliminating taxpayer subsidies to any energy company – whether it’s clean energy or fossil fuel. Rather than increasing the RPS mandate, like our neighbors up north, Ohio policymakers should repeal the mandate and allow all energy providers to compete fairly for consumers.

Quinn Beeson is the economic research analyst at The Buckeye Institute’s Economic Research Center.